'I'LL BE THERE FOR YOU: The One About "Friends,"' by Kelsey Miller. As journalist Miller reports at the beginning of her fond history of the beloved '90s sitcom: "It was a fairly inauspicious beginning." But the pilot NBC aired in September 1994 developed over 10 seasons into a TV landmark, a show still watched by 16 million Americans weekly in reruns. (Hanover Square Press, $26.99)
'LITTLE,' by Edward Carey. The little girl with the Roman nose whom we meet at the beginning of this novel set in 18th-century France will grow up to have a celebrated name: Madame Tussaud, of wax museum fame. Carey, author of Iremonger Trilogy for young adults, follows her fortunes through the French Revolution and beyond, with evocative line drawings throughout. (Riverhead, $27)
'HOW THE INTERNET HAPPENED: From Netscape to the iPhone,' by Brian McCullough. The host of the Internet History podcast traces the "modern web era" to a basement in Champaign, Ill., where, in 1992, a young programmer created the first user-friendly browser. McCullough guides us through the milestones of AOL, eBay, Google, Facebook and others. (Liveright, $28.95)
